The Penn College Archives is the repository for the historical records and artifacts of Pennsylvania College of Technology and its predecessors, Williamsport Technical Institute and Williamsport Area Community College. Its primary purpose is to document and preserve college history and to make that history accessible to administrators, faculty, staff, students, alumni, members of the community, and researchers. Although the materials contained in the college archives document the history and operation of the institution, they can also provide valuable information on the history of the City of Williamsport and vocational technical education, particularly during the interwar period. The college archives collects official records, papers, and publications of Pennsylvania College of Technology, including but not limited to:
The Madigan Library accepts gifts of archival materials, in accordance with the following provisions:
Penn College Archives is committed to providing valuable educational experiences for all staff, faculty, students, and community members. We recognize that mutual respect is the foundation of our learning community. By labeling content, we’re providing a warning to let you know that some of the educational content can be offensive or harmful.
As a repository for historical documents and artifacts, we acknowledge that there may be some images, language, or other representations that are harmful to underrepresented or minority populations. Inclusion of such content in the Archives is not an endorsement of an item's language, images, or ideology. We believe in the importance of fostering access to our collections with transparency and responsibility in ways that preserve historical evidence of social conditions and attitudes.
Penn College Archives strives to not cause harm to those who interact with the collections. We make every effort to identify and label anything that may be considered offensive or harmful and want to ensure that we describe material in a way that is accurate, respectful, and responsive. If you encounter harmful or offensive language in our digital or physical archives, please contact us at archives@pct.edu so that we may review it and determine how best to proceed, balancing the inclusivity of all users with the preservation of our primary sources.
Use Archive-It to search a select collection of archived Penn College websites and born-digital materials. While the bulk of the collection began in 2020, some pages, such as news articles, may go back further. The collection includes, but is not limited to:
The mace is a symbol of authority long used by colleges and universities in commencement exercises to symbolize the power and authority of higher education. The mace, originally a medieval club used as a weapon of war, can also be seen as a staff or scepter. In fourteenth-century universities, the mace was often used to restore order when debates between students and faculty became particularly heated.
The Penn College mace was designed by Frederick T. Gilmour, an alumnus and former employee of the college. The following description is taken from the 1985-1986 Annual Report of the Williamsport Area Community College:
"The base of the mace is formed by 16 fasces bound together by leather thongs. Above the fasces is a walnut cylinder in which 15 semi-precious stones are set. A hexagonal insignia block--featuring a stainless steel engraving on each face--is above the cylinder. The engravings featured are a key, a set of paired gears, an oscilloscope pattern, a micrometer, a divider and a laurel branch. Atop the insignia block is a chrome-plated polyhedron. Capping the mace is an open book.”
The Penn College mace is carried at the head of the commencement procession by the president of the Penn College Education Association.